Mayor Johnson: Sacramento's Image Is Improving

Orn Bodvarsson, dean and professor at the Sacramento State School of Public Affairs and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson chat prior to Johnson's "town hall" chat with about 80 Sac State students.

Bob Moffitt / Capital Public Radio

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson says last weekend's U.S. Conference of Mayors went a long way toward bolstering the city's image. On Saturday, the Mayor led a group of mayors on a late-night tour of downtown restaurants and clubs and then watched Sacramento Republic F-C win the U-S-L PRO championship. On Sunday, a day of meetings was followed by a farm-to-fork dinner on the Tower Bridge spanning the Sacramento River.

"They're like, 'I just can't believe the energy and the vitality that is in Sacramento," said Johnson. "And I'm thinking, that is what we want to do. We want you to feel it. We want people from around the country to feel it. And we want them to go back to their respective countries...countries? Or cities to say, 'Sacramento has got it going on.'"

Johnson hosted mayors from a number of large cities including Philadelphia and Indianapolis. He says the vibe of the city during the weekend was a far cry from his playing days with the Phoenix Suns when his teammates voted Sacramento one of the worst cities to visit.

The Mayor made his comments to about 80 students at Sacramento State Monday night.

The event was billed as an hour-long town hall meeting. The Mayor spent about a-third of the time talking about Measure L, the "strong mayor" proposal on this November's ballot.

Bob reports on all things northern California and Nevada. His coverage of police technology, local athletes, and the environment has won a regional Associated Press and several Edward R. Murrow awards. Read Full Bio